Forest Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar and his estranged wife, Yamini Thankachi, gave separate complaints to the police on Monday accusing each other of criminal assault, domestic violence, and cruelty.
It was a day of high drama when the familial dispute threatened to rock the government. Both Ms. Thankachi and Mr. Ganesh Kumar met Chief Minister Oommen Chandy independently, and held separate and emotionally charged press conferences. Several demonstrations were held in the city in support and against Mr. Ganesh Kumar.
In her petition to the Chief Minister, Ms. Thankachi said she had made a complaint over the phone to him about her husband’s behaviour on February 23, and later met him and made a ‘personal disposal’ regarding the matter on March 7.
In her complaint to the Museum sub-inspector, Ms. Thankachi said her husband had assaulted her at their house on February 22. It was the last in a series of incidents of domestic violence and mental torture she had endured at his hands since they were married 16 years ago. She said Mr. Ganesh Kumar resorted to physical violence whenever she questioned his ‘promiscuous relationships.’
She stated that he never cared for his family, and that amounted to cruelty. She had suffered ‘economic, emotional, and physical harm’ on account of the relationship.
She said that on February 21, her husband had asked her to install an application on his cell phone because her son was away. While handling the phone, she happened to see some text messages, which revealed that the Minister shared an extramarital relationship with a woman she considered her friend. She said Mr. Ganesh Kumar was evasive when she confronted him about the messages. On February 22, a person came to her house and shouted at Mr. Ganesh Kumar, accusing the Minister of having a secret relationship with his wife. She said Mr. Ganesh Kumar apologised to the man when the latter confronted him with evidence of the extramarital relationship. Shocked, she retired to another room in the house. She stated that the Minister entered the room and beat her. Her children witnessed the assault. She sustained bruises, contusions, and acute haematoma on her right thumb.
Mr. Ganesh Kumar’s brother-in-law, T. Balakrishnan, and his sister, Bindu Balakrishnan, took her to hospital.
She told the police that Mr. Ganesh Kumar had ‘a very strong criminal mind,’ and she feared for her life and safety of her children. She prayed for police protection. Ms. Thankachi said Mr. Ganesh Kumar had abused his official position by secretly hosting the man’s wife at his official residence. Ms. Thankachi submitted a CD that carried photos of the wounds that she had sustained allegedly at the hands of her husband and the wound certificate issued to her by the hospital where she was treated.
